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Quiz about This Dragon Doesnt Breathe Fire
Quiz about This Dragon Doesnt Breathe Fire

This Dragon Doesn't Breathe Fire... Quiz


...but that doesn't make it any less interesting or formidable. The 'dragon' in question is the Komodo dragon, the world's largest lizard. Let's see how it compares to its fictional counterparts.

A multiple-choice quiz by Kankurette. Estimated time: 5 mins.
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Author
Kankurette
Time
5 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
363,558
Updated
Nov 21 23
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
7 / 10
Plays
366
Awards
Top 35% Quiz
- -
Question 1 of 10
1. Unlike the dragons of fairy tales, this dragon doesn't kidnap princesses, but is it true that Komodo dragons have been known to eat humans?


Question 2 of 10
2. In the role-playing game 'Skyrim', a warrior with the soul of a dragon is known as 'Dovahkiin' in the dragon language. The people of Komodo coined the term 'buaya darat' for the Komodo dragon. What does it mean? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. Many fictional dragons, such as sea dragons or the Biblical Leviathan, are snakelike in form. While the Komodo dragon is no snake, it does detect prey in the same way as a snake by using a certain part of its body. What organ does the Komodo dragon use to detect its prey? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. According to Japanese myth, the Yamata no Orochi - an eight-headed dragon - was long enough to cover eight hills and eight valleys. While the Komodo dragon isn't that long, it can get pretty big. Up to what (approximate) length can a Komodo dragon grow? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. In George RR Martin's 'A Song of Ice and Fire' series, Daenerys Targaryen is known as 'the mother of dragons', and has three dragons which she raises from birth. If Daenerys were to breed Komodo dragons, she would be expecting them to lay their eggs at a certain time. In which month do Komodo dragons lay their eggs? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. From the Rainbow Serpent of Australian Aboriginal myth to the Babylonian Tiamat, dragons have featured in creation myths all over the world. Female Komodo dragons may not create worlds, but they can create eggs without the help of a male Komodo dragon. What is this particular type of reproduction called? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. In JRR Tolkien's 'The Hobbit', the villainous dragon Smaug lives in the Lonely Mountain, which he stole from the dwarves, along with their gold. Komodo dragons also make use of the home of another species - not to steal treasure, but in order to lay their eggs. What kind of habitat do the females choose to have their babies? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. The knights and princes who slay dragons in fiction may be heroes, but there is nothing heroic about the poaching of a species listed as vulnerable. As well as having been poached for their meat and eggs, Komodo dragons have also been poached for their skin in order to make bags and purses. Does Komodo dragon skin make a high-quality product?


Question 9 of 10
9. Fire isn't the only element associated with dragons in fiction. Snow and ice dragons have appeared in all kinds of fiction, from Hyorinmaru in the manga 'Bleach' to the Ice Dragon in Oliver Postgate's 'Noggin the Nog' series. However, an icy climate would be a nightmare for the Komodo dragon as it relies on heat. After eating, it will often bask in the sun. Why does it do this? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. Not all dragons are fire-breathers. Some, such as the hydra of Greek myth and the Green Dragon of 'Final Fantasy VI', have poisonous breath. However, is the bite of a Komodo dragon poisonous?



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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Unlike the dragons of fairy tales, this dragon doesn't kidnap princesses, but is it true that Komodo dragons have been known to eat humans?

Answer: Yes

Komodo dragons mainly eat insects, snakes, birds, monkeys and hoofed animals - and even each other! - but they have also been known to kill and eat the odd human. For instance, a hungry Komodo dragon killed an eight-year-old boy in 2007, and two Komodo dragons mauled a man to death in 2009. On the island of Komodo, some locals have had to bury human corpses in clay and cover the graves with stones to protect them from being dug up and eaten by the dragons.
2. In the role-playing game 'Skyrim', a warrior with the soul of a dragon is known as 'Dovahkiin' in the dragon language. The people of Komodo coined the term 'buaya darat' for the Komodo dragon. What does it mean?

Answer: Land crocodile

Another name for the Komodo dragon is 'biawak raksasa', or 'giant monitor'. This is more apt for the Komodo dragon, as it is part of the Varanidae family, which includes the monitor lizards.
3. Many fictional dragons, such as sea dragons or the Biblical Leviathan, are snakelike in form. While the Komodo dragon is no snake, it does detect prey in the same way as a snake by using a certain part of its body. What organ does the Komodo dragon use to detect its prey?

Answer: Its tongue

The Komodo dragon has a long forked tongue, which it uses to 'taste' the air. When it draws the tongue back in, the tips of the tongue come into contact with the Jacobson's organs on the roof of its mouth which detect sensory stimuli. The Komodo dragon can determine what direction the prey is heading by which tip has the stronger scent (the left or the right).
4. According to Japanese myth, the Yamata no Orochi - an eight-headed dragon - was long enough to cover eight hills and eight valleys. While the Komodo dragon isn't that long, it can get pretty big. Up to what (approximate) length can a Komodo dragon grow?

Answer: 10 feet

In metric, that's approximately three metres long. The biggest Komodo dragon found in the wild was 3.13m (10ft 3 inches) long and weighed 166kg (366lb), taking into account the undigested food in its stomach.
5. In George RR Martin's 'A Song of Ice and Fire' series, Daenerys Targaryen is known as 'the mother of dragons', and has three dragons which she raises from birth. If Daenerys were to breed Komodo dragons, she would be expecting them to lay their eggs at a certain time. In which month do Komodo dragons lay their eggs?

Answer: September

Female Komodo dragons lay their eggs in September, after a mating period which takes place between May and August. Seven to eight months later, the eggs hatch in the spring when there are plenty of insects for them to eat.
6. From the Rainbow Serpent of Australian Aboriginal myth to the Babylonian Tiamat, dragons have featured in creation myths all over the world. Female Komodo dragons may not create worlds, but they can create eggs without the help of a male Komodo dragon. What is this particular type of reproduction called?

Answer: Parthenogenesis

The term 'parthenogenesis' comes from the Greek for 'virgin birth', and is a form of asexual reproduction. It also occurs in plants, insects and reptiles.

Although Komodo dragons do mate like your average animal, females can lay eggs via parthenogenesis; for instance, Flora, an eight-year-old female in captivity at Chester Zoo, laid eggs in 2006, despite never having had contact with a male of the species. Seven baby male dragons were the result.
7. In JRR Tolkien's 'The Hobbit', the villainous dragon Smaug lives in the Lonely Mountain, which he stole from the dwarves, along with their gold. Komodo dragons also make use of the home of another species - not to steal treasure, but in order to lay their eggs. What kind of habitat do the females choose to have their babies?

Answer: Abandoned megapode nests

As abandoned megapode nests are on the ground, they're a handy place for the females of the species to lay their eggs. In order to prevent their entire brood from being killed and eaten at once, the female Komodo dragons lay their eggs in a number of different nests. After the young Komodo dragons hatch, they live in trees in order to avoid being preyed on by adults.

Megapodes, incidentally, are so-called because of their large feet, and are also known as 'incubator birds', as they bury their eggs.
8. The knights and princes who slay dragons in fiction may be heroes, but there is nothing heroic about the poaching of a species listed as vulnerable. As well as having been poached for their meat and eggs, Komodo dragons have also been poached for their skin in order to make bags and purses. Does Komodo dragon skin make a high-quality product?

Answer: No

If you're expecting a quality product made of Komodo dragon skin, you're going to be disappointed, as Komodo dragon skin is actually pretty rubbish when it comes to making handbags. When dried out, the skin cracks and breaks. Trade of Komodo dragon skins is banned under CITES.

The animals are still in danger due to human activity, however - not just poaching, but also tourism, poaching of their prey (such as deer), and deforestation resulting in habitat loss.
9. Fire isn't the only element associated with dragons in fiction. Snow and ice dragons have appeared in all kinds of fiction, from Hyorinmaru in the manga 'Bleach' to the Ice Dragon in Oliver Postgate's 'Noggin the Nog' series. However, an icy climate would be a nightmare for the Komodo dragon as it relies on heat. After eating, it will often bask in the sun. Why does it do this?

Answer: It speeds up their metabolisms and aids digestion

Like many other reptiles, Komodo dragons have very slow metabolisms and can survive on as few as twelve meals a year. They sun themselves after eating in order to speed up the digestion of their food, as otherwise the food will rot in their stomachs and become poisonous.

After digestion, the Komodo dragon vomits up a gastric pellet made up of indigestible body parts, such as horns and teeth.
10. Not all dragons are fire-breathers. Some, such as the hydra of Greek myth and the Green Dragon of 'Final Fantasy VI', have poisonous breath. However, is the bite of a Komodo dragon poisonous?

Answer: Yes

The Komodo dragon is one of three poisonous types of lizard, the others being the Gila monster and the Mexican beaded lizard. Its venom is similar to that of a snake, in that it causes muscle paralysis and shock and prevents blood from clotting, and comes out of two glands in the lizard's lower jaw.
Source: Author Kankurette

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Tizzabelle before going online.
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